Bin Laden sons denounce killing

Wednesday, May 11, 2011 - 01:46

May 11 - Osama bin Laden's adult sons say his killing by US special forces was ''criminal''. Nick Rowlands reports.

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In a statement released to the New York Times on Tuesday, the adult sons of Osama bin Laden denounced their father's killing as "criminal".
The newspaper said the statement was prepared by Omar bin Laden, the ex al Qaeda leader's fourth eldest son, who during an interview in 2008 had expressed his desire to act as an ambassador for peace.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) SON OF OSMAMA BIN LADEN, OMAR BIN LADEN:
"I plan to be a peace ambassador, I just think I can help and put my hand to try to help the people and the civilian. And should everybody be peace ambassador, not only me or you."
Despite publicly denouncing his father's actions, Omar bin Laden said he still loved him.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) SON OF OSMAMA BIN LADEN, OMAR BIN LADEN:
"He's my dad and I love him like any son love his dad. What else?"
Osama bin Laden was killed last week during a U.S. special forces raid at this compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
The statement from the bin Laden family asks why he "was not arrested and tried in a court of law so that truth is revealed to the people of the world."
It also cites the trials of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and former Serbian leader Slobadan Milosevic, adding that "We maintain that arbitrary killing is not a solution to political problems... justice must seen to be done."
Questions have multiplied since the White House admitted bin Laden was unarmed at the time of the attack.
Nick Rowlands, Reuters.